Gravity and inertia fed pencil



July 17, 1951 H. T. HALLBERG 2,551,113

' GRAVITY AND INERTIA FED PENCIL Filed May 5, 1948 V) IN, u, 40 h 2 I2. I 66 E 64 E; I I i i 42 46 S I I 40 3 I 28 I Invento r 34 w 32 Henry 7'. Hal/berg Fig. time]:

Patented July 17, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automatic pencils and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a pencil containing a plurality of pencil leads which are extended singly, in a step by step movement from one end of the pencil as the latter is manually forced downwardly with a sudden jerk or wrist action.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a gravity and inertia fed pencil including a slidable lead holding member, a feed bore, and novel and improved plunger means, manually actuated, to discharge a pencil lead engaged by the holding member into the feed bore.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pencil that is gravity and inertia actuated to effect a step-by-step discharge of a pencil lead therefrom without the necessity of having to rotate or turn any portion thereof.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a gravity and inertia fed pencil that is simple and practical in construction strong and reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, small and compact in structure, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the pencil constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the present invention, the body portion and end tip removed therefrom; and,

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 1, the spring, however, not being shown.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral ll} represents a substantially cylindrical body of any suitable material having an internally threaded, open upper end I2 and an open and tapered lower end 14.

Slidably positioned in the body I and engaging an annular inner shoulder I6 provided on the inner wall of the body ll] adjacent the lower open end I4 thereof, is a combined guide plate and abutment 18 having a central opening or aperture 20. Integrally formed with the guide plate l8 and depending therefrom, is an annular support sleeve 22 the lower internally threaded end 24 of which terminates coplanar with the lower end l4 of the body I0.

Receivably engaging the internal threads at the lower end 24 of the sleeve 22, is the reduced externally threaded inner end 26 of a substantially frusto-conical tip or end portion 28 having an annular shoulder or base portion 39 that bears against the end 24 of the sleeve 22 and the lower end I4 of the body [6. This tip 28 is formed with an axial opening or bore 32 that is flared at its inner end 34 to communicate with a socket or recess 36 provided in the reduced threaded end 2'6 of the said tip 28.

Suitably fixed to an annular outer shoulder 38 provided on the inner wall of the body l0, adjacent the upper end l2 thereof, is a support plate 40 having a concaved upper face 42 and a central bore 44 in which there is fixed the upper open end 46 of a tubular guide or feed conduit 48. The lower open end 50 of the feed conduit 48 is loosely received in the opening 26 provided in the guide plate l6 and slidably supports a substantially cylindrical, open ended, lead holding, feed chuck or clutch member 52 that is slidably guided in the opening 26 in the guide plate 58.

The lower enlarged externally cam surfaced end 54 of the lead holding member 52 is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced, longitudinal slots 56 thus forming an expansible and contractible collet holding device to grasp leads for a purpose which will later be more fully apparent. Also, the lower end 54 of the lead holding member 52 extends through a countersunk central opening 53 in an operating member or stop element 58 that is slidable on the member :52 and which limits the upward sliding movement of the lead holding member relative to the guide plate I8. The operating member also contracts or actuates the grasping action of the collet when the member 58 contacts the element l8 and is forced upon the cam surface of the end 54 as shown in Figure 1.

Fixed on the lead holding member 52, is an annular bearing plate 66 that is urged together with the lead holding member 52 to a raised or retracted position by a coil spring 62 that embraces the holding member 52 and which is biased between the bearing plate and the guide plate I8.

Slidably positioned on the conduit 48, is a weight or cylindrical plunger 64 that bears upon the bearing plate 60. This plunger 64 is normally retained in a raised position with the plate 60 by the spring 62.

Receivably engaging the upper internally threaded end [2 of the body I0, is the threaded end 66 of a closure plug or eraser holder 68 of any suitable size or shape.

In practical use of the present invention, pencil lead is placed in the holding compartment or chamber 'm thatisdisposed between the .support plate 40 and'the holder 68.

Some of the pencil lead in the chamber will slide, by gravity, into the conduit 48 until the same is frictionally engaged by the slotted end 54 of the lead holding member 52 and at the end 50 of the conduit 48.

As the body is manually shaken. by adownward motion, the plunger 64 will be'forced downwardly to compress the spring 62 andaaiportion of the pencil lead heldgby the holding member --,52 will be injected into the 'aXial;bore 32-1 of the tip 28.

the conduit as the present invention. isle-used.

It should be noted, that member 58 releases the collet holding action upon striking the end 26 of tip 28, part:-52 continuing into recess 36 of tip 28 and .part 58, remaining :on, shoulder or end 26 until .return actioncarries ;it:back (at thispointpart-58 has slid or is retractedlon part -52 and is carried back by friction 50.0 iii 1S normal position at which time part; 52 continues its return motion {until returned and stopped by 58 whichqiszheld against part i8 whereupon the, grasping, action of ,col1et: '52 re occurs as the;member;a58 rides upon the ,cam surface of the end 54).

Obviously,,the supportsleeve 22 maybe eliminated from the guide plate l,8;for thesconvenience of manufacture whereby the. threaded ,end 26 of tip 28 will engage internal threads-Knot shown) which are formed at itheqlowerzend' i 4 of body All.

In view of the foregoing descriptionl-takenhin conjunction with :the,iaccompanyingadrawings .;it is believedtthatua vclearlunderstanding of,.the

device will be zquitexapparentsto 'thoseiskilledxin this art. A more .detaileddescription isl-accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to :be 1understood, ,however, v.that; even though there is herein shown,;and describeda preferred embodiment :of the invention thesame is susceptible to certain changesas long as they come within the scope ofqthe appendedsclaims.

Having described the invention, :what is,

claimed as new is:

1. A mechanicalpencil comprising ;a hollow body having a tip at one end, saidqtiplincluding an axial bore and also an inner end :having a recess therein, :,a lead receiving ,chamber ,-pro-:

vided in said body, a .conduit.-;leading r.om the chamber to the bore in said tip, a.combined abutment and guide mounted ,in .;said'zbody, :aa

feed chuck slidably received onsaid conduitand slidably carried by said combined abutment'iand I guide, anroperating member slidably, received .on

said chuck for compressinguthechuck when-sthe member is urged against the combined abutment ,zand guidegsaidzoperating membenbeing .:stopped .by theinnerlend pfusaid tip ltosperrnit;nnou/Ke-;i

ment of the chuck away from the operating member and thereby permit expansion of the chuck as the chuck moves into the recess in the inner end of said tip, means movable in the body by bodily movement of the body to urge the chuck and member toward the tip, a bearing plate on said chuck spaced from said combined abutment and guide and spring means associated with the chuck and compressed between tsaid plate and said; combined abutment and'guide -for urging the chuck away'from the tip and the member against the combined abut- --ment and guide.

inc

.2. The'combination of claim 1 wherein said conduit is held stationary within said body, said meansmovable in the body by bodily movement ,of the body comprises a weight having a central opening slidably receiving the conduit.

:3. .A mechanical pencil comprising a hollow body having a lower end and a shoulder on the inner wall of the body adjacentithe loweriend,

' a tip including ,an' end .received .in :said:-lower r the upper end of said shankz-andxoverlyingzsaid guide plate, an operating member slidable on'sai'd shank :for compressing'ithe. clutch: member when :theoperating. membemis disposed: against" the guide plate, said:.operating:member engaging the endof said tip itollimitlslidingiof the. operating member and :to permit ;movement of -the::clutch member from .the operating member ancliiexpansion of the clutch memberias the clutch'zmember moves into the recessiin the said:-.:endmof-=said fitip, a. weight slidable on the :conduit and supportedon said bearingplate, and-:a :spring sur- -rounding the shank and'compressed betweemsaid guide plate and said bearing:plate -for y-ieldingly urging the clutch member andthe op'erating :member toward said guide .plate.

4. The combination: of claim- 3:- whereinsaid tip includes a base :p'ortion -engaging the "lower end of said body, :and ,said :sleeve is threaded to said :tip -tohold the -guide plate against ;the shoulder and the base portion against the -tip.

:5. Thecombinationof eclaim 1 wherein 'said body includes a ishoulderon -its iinner wall adjacent said tip, said :combined-abutment -=*and guide seating againstsaida-shoulder, said tip including abase'engaging-one end of said body; and a threaded connection between said tip and said combinedabutment and guide retainingthe combined abutment and :guide against said shoulder I and the base ,against:one-. end ofsaid tip.

6. A mechanical pencil comprising an open ended body,-a-tipacarr-ied by one endapf said body having anaxial bore, aconduit fixed in saidbody intermediate theends'of-the body, :a feedmham ber :provided in said ibodyand interposed: between theconduit and the itip, anuexpansible and"contractiblelead. holding member slidably carried by said conduit-ad-jacent-the-tip,'iguide *means fixed :in i said "body. guiding the sliding'amovement a of said .lead holding member; means' ior foreing Lth lead holding:member'downwardly toward' the :;tip;;spring means urging-the lead holding memher toward a raised and retracted position, said guide means also limiting the raising movement of said lead holding member, and an operating member movable on said lead holding member to contract the lead holding member upon movement of the lead holding member away from the tip and engagement of the operating member with the guide means, said tip having an inner end constituting a stop for engaging the operating member to limit sliding movement of the op-- erating member, the inner end of said tip including a recess receiving the lead holding member therein to permit expansion of the lead holding member as the lead holding member is moved downwardly from the operating member upon engagement of the operating member with said guide means.

HENRY T. HALL'BERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

